An Abbotsford police officer is facing drug trafficking and conspiracy charges following an eight-month undercover operation conducted by the Vancouver Police Department.

Abbotsford Police Const. Christopher Nicholson has been charged with:

Breach of trust.

Obstruction of justice.

Conspiracy to traffic a controlled substance.

Abbotsford police Chief Bob Rich said he asked the Vancouver Police Department to launch the investigation last September after he received a tip that Nicholson had allegedly tipped off a drug dealer to help the dealer avoid being arrested.

Vancouver police Chief Jim Chu said his department then put eight investigators on the case, who determined that Nicholson was allegedly providing false information to other officers who used that information to obtain search warrants to search private homes for drugs.

At the same time, Nicholson was allegedly conspiring with a confidential informant to have drugs delivered to the residences just before they were searched.

"The information that Christopher Nicholson has provided over the years has assisted in obtaining dozens of search warrants to residences of drug dealers and gang members," Rich said in a written statement.

"To the front line officers, these are some of the most dangerous and high risk entries that police officers undertake. Executing search warrants with false or misleading information puts many police officers in unnecessary danger," he said.

Rich said Nicholson, who joined the department in 2005, has lost his badge and has been suspended with pay, and is facing a disciplinary process under the B.C. Police Act that will end his pay as soon as possible.